The clash came as the new military-backed government called for an end to two massive pro-Morsy sit-ins in Cairo that have drawn tens of thousands of protesters -- primarily Muslim Brotherhood supporters -- since the military ousted Morsy from office.

Egypt's military toppled Morsy, the country's first democratically elected president, on July 3 and quickly rounded up some of his top supporters. Morsy was just over a year into his presidency. He has not been seen publicly since being detained last month.

Morsy supporters have vowed not to end the protests until Morsy is returned to office, and they have been gearing up in recent days for a possible confrontation with the military after the government's warning.

As tensions rise across the country, so do fears of possible further violence in a country facing its worst crisis since the popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Hundreds have been killed and thousands more wounded in clashes between Morsy's supporters and those opposed to his rule.

Upwards of 600 Morsy supporters targeted the Media Production City, a complex that contains multiple media outlets and production studios, because of what they called biased coverage of the coup.

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Unrest in Egypt – A bus passes a destroyed pickup truck with loudspeakers that was used by supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy on Friday, August 2. The supporters and security forces clashed in Sixth of October City in Giza, south of Cairo, after the government ordered their protest camps be broken up. Look at the latest violence in Egypt.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters walk past makeshift roadblocks at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo on Saturday, August 3. Security forces set up the roadblocks outside the square, allowing people to leave but not enter, as they attempt to break up camps set up during ongoing protests over Morsy's ouster.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters run among the smoke and fire resulting from clashes with security forces in Sixth of October City in Giza on August 2. The military ousted Morsy, Egypt's first democratically elected president, in early July after days of mass demonstrations. Dozens of Morsy backers angry at Egypt's military-backed government have died in weekend violence in the volatile nation's capital. See photos of protests that have engulfed the country.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptian riot police block the entrance to Sixth of October City in Giza on August 2 following clashes with Morsy supporters.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters in red helmets march during a protest against the government in Cairo on August 2. Pro-Morsy marches began after Friday prayers, when supporters made their way back to their camp outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters march in a demonstration against the Egyptian government in Cairo on August 2.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of Egypt's deposed President Mohammed Morsy gather for prayers at Nasr City, where protesters have installed a camp and hold daily rallies, in Cairo, on Sunday, July 28.

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Unrest in Egypt – A boy wears a tear gas mask as supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsy pray at the camp set up by supporters in the Nasr City area of Cairo on July 28.

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Unrest in Egypt – Doctors treat an injured supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy during clashes with security forces in Cairo on Saturday, July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – A wounded Morsy supporter lies on the floor of a field hospital in Cairo on July 27. Thousands of Morsy supporters gathered Saturday in the Nasr City neighborhood despite dozens of deaths the night before and veiled threats from the military.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of Morsy protest outside a field hospital in Cairo where the bodies of slain Morsy supporters have been brought July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – The body of a Muslim Brotherhood protester, reportedly shot dead after violence erupted the night before, is moved as mourners watch inside a field hospital in Cairo on July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – Two men mourn Morsy supporters who were killed in overnight clashes with security forces, in Cairo, on July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – A medic pauses at a field hospital in Cairo on July 27 after tending to the bodies of Morsy supporters reportedly killed in fighting.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of Morsy carry an injured man to a field hospital amid clashes with security forces in Cairo on July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – Doctors treat a Morsy supporter injured during clashes with security forces in Cairo on July 27.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of Morsy rally in Giza, on Friday, July 26.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of the Egyptian military rally at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday, July 26.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy opponents rally in Cairo on July 26.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy opponents watch a demonstration from a rooftop near Tahrir Square in Cairo on July 26.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptian soldiers stand guard atop an armored vehicle on a bridge leading to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, July 26.

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Unrest in Egypt – A Morsy advocate builds a giant portrait of the deposed president Thursday, July 25, while other supporters hold a sit-in outside a Cairo mosque. The military has detained Morsy while an interim government takes shape.

Unrest in Egypt – A man with a pistol and other Morsy opponents detain a suspected Morsy supporter who was wounded during clashes in Cairo on Monday, July 22. Supporters and opponents clashed near the city's Tahrir Square.

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Unrest in Egypt – Men evacuate an injured opponent of Morsy during clashes with his supporters in Cairo on July 22.

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Unrest in Egypt – A man fires a gun during clashes between opponents and supporters of Morsy in Cairo on July 22.

Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters run from tear gas in Cairo on July 15.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptians in Cairo's Tahrir Square pray before breaking their fast on the third day of Ramadan, the sacred holy month for Muslims, on Friday, July 12.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of the deposed Morsy rally in Nasr City, Egypt, a suburb of Cairo, on Monday, July 8.

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Unrest in Egypt – A man reacts after seeing the body of a family member at the Liltaqmeen al-Sahy Hospital in Cairo, allegedly killed during a sit-in supporting Morsy in front of the Republican Guard headquarters on July 8.

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Unrest in Egypt – Injured men receive medical attention after clashes between supporters of Morsy and security forces in Cairo on July 8.

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Unrest in Egypt – Opponents of Mohamed Morsy gather at Tahrir Square during a protest in Cairo on Sunday, July 7.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters of Morsy pray next to the headquarters of the Republican Guards in Cairo on Saturday, July 6, during the funeral of seven people killed during clashes.

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Unrest in Egypt – People carry coffins on July 6 of two Morsy opponents who were killed during clashes in Cairo.

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Unrest in Egypt – A Morsy supporter joins protests near the University of Cairo in Giza on July 6.

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Unrest in Egypt – Supporters and opponents of Morsy clash in Cairo on Friday, July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – A protester is attended to in Cairo's Tahrir Square during fighting between the pro- and anti-Morsy crowds on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – An Egyptian military helicopter hovers over supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and deposed President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters hold up their bloodstained hands after Egypt's armed forces opened fire on rally in front of the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters carry a man who was shot during clashes next to the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo on July 5. State broadcaster Nile TV said a number of those backing the deposed leader were wounded as they tried to storm the headquarters, where Morsy reportedly was being held.

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Unrest in Egypt – A wounded man is helped following the gun battle outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard on July 5.

Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters react to an explosion during clashes with police officers on July 5 outside Cairo University in Giza.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptian Army soldiers stand guard at the Cairo headquarters of the Republican Guard on July 5 as an Apache attack helicopter flies overhead.

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Unrest in Egypt – Morsy supporters pray near the University of Cairo in Giza on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – A man prays on July 5 before the protest near the University of Cairo.

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Unrest in Egypt – Protesters take cover from tear gas during clashes outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard in Cairo on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – A military helicopter flies by Egypt's Presidential Palace in Cairo on July 5.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptians watch fireworks in Tahrir Square on Thursday, July 4, the day after Morsy's ouster.

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Unrest in Egypt – People dance and cheer in the streets of Cairo on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – A Morsy supporter holds a poster of the deposed president during a July 4 rally in Nasr City.

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Unrest in Egypt – A massive crowd gathers in Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptians cheer and wave national flags as airplanes fly above Tahrir Square on July 4, leaving a trail of smoke in the colors of the national flag.

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Unrest in Egypt – A woman uses a mobile phone to record the July 4 celebrations in Tahrir Square.

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Unrest in Egypt – An opposition protester chants slogans against Morsy near Cairo University, where Muslim Brotherhood supporters gathered on July 4 to show support for the ousted president.

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Unrest in Egypt – A man holds a newspaper near Mesaha Square in Cairo on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – Dejected Morsy supporters attend a rally in Nasr City on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – A Morsy supporter shows his bloodied shirt during a July 4 rally near the University of Cairo.

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Unrest in Egypt – A young Egyptian boy shoots off fireworks during celebrations in Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – People walk by a pile of Egyptian flags for sale in Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – Crowds throng Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – Egyptian soldiers deploy near Cairo University on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – People dance and cheer at Tahrir Square in Cairo on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – Adly Mansour, center, stands after delivering a speech during his swearing-in ceremony as Egypt's interim president in the Supreme Constitutional Court in Cairo on July 4. Mansour has served as the head of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court.

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Unrest in Egypt – Armored vehicles with the Egyptian army sit at a checkpoint in the Cairo district of Nasr City on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – A Morsy supporter reacts as a military helicopter flies over during a July 4 rally in Nasr City.

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Unrest in Egypt – A boy with face paint the color of the Egyptian flag pauses on July 4 in Tahrir Square.

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Unrest in Egypt – A pedestrian shakes hands with a member of the military at a roadblock in Giza.

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Unrest in Egypt – Security personnel rest on July 4 in Tahrir Square.

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Unrest in Egypt – A man walks to Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – A family sleeps on a bridge near Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – A member of the Egyptian military redirects traffic on July 4 at a roadblock in Giza.

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Unrest in Egypt – Bread is sold near Tahrir Square on July 4.

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Unrest in Egypt – An Egyptian military member guards a roadblock in Giza on July 4.

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EXPAND GALLERY

Just Watched

Pro-Morsy protesters bracing for worst

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Cairo's tent city

On Nile TV, thick smoke could be seen rising from the complex, where some protesters had gathered near the front gate. Nile TV reported protesters were throwing Molotov cocktails at security forces, but a policeman at the clash told CNN he did not see anyone throwing Molotovs.

At least 31 people, described by authorities as "rioters," were arrested in the Media Production City melee, state-run media reported.

As dusk fell Friday, cameras captured how packed the streets were in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda Masr squares as people shouted and waved flags. Egyptian state TV reported that security forces would cordon off the squares so people could only exit and not enter.

But Farida Mustafa, a spokeswoman for the Anti-Coup Prodemocracy Alliance, which organized the protests, told CNN that the group had seen no signs of the perimeter of Rabaa al-Adawiya being cordoned off.

Ministry of Interior spokesman Abdellatif also said there was no cordon and refused to confirm the state TV report.

Before the protests began, Morsy's defenders called for a million-man march from 33 mosques, but it's unclear whether the protest materialized.

In the hours leading to the protests, Egypt's Interior Ministry urged pro-Morsy protesters to leave the squares.

The demonstrations represent a threat to national security and traffic congestion, Information Minister Durriya Sharaf el-Din said Wednesday.

Interim Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim was authorized to take "all necessary measures to face these dangers and end them," el-Din said.

While protesters rallied in Cairo beneath a banner Friday that read, "Egypt against the coup," the U.S. State Department announced that Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns is visiting the Egyptian capital.

Secretary of State John Kerry asked Burns to discuss with Egyptian leaders "the importance of avoiding violence and helping to facilitate a peaceful and inclusive political process," a release said.

Asked why the United States is "not taking a clear position" on Morsy being deposed, Kerry replied, "The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence.

"And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment so -- so far. To run the country, there's a civilian government," he said. "In effect, they were restoring democracy."

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad denounced Kerry's words and accused the Obama administration of being "complicit in the military coup."

"Is it the job of the army to restore democracy?" he asked.

He then asked whether Kerry would accept the removal of the U.S. government by the military if large protests took place there.

"Such rhetoric is very alarming. The American people should stand against an administration that is corrupting their values in supporting tyranny and dictatorship," he said.

A visiting African Union delegation went to the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in Thursday night.

Earlier, the group Human Rights Watch urged the government to order a halt to any immediate plans to break up the Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins by force and "deal peacefully with any problems arising."

"To avoid another bloodbath, Egypt's civilian rulers need to ensure the ongoing right of protesters to assemble peacefully, and seek alternatives to a forcible dispersal of the crowds," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Houry warned that the number of protesters packed together in the squares means "hundreds of lives could be lost if the sit-in is forcibly dispersed."